First-time deer hunter arrows a trophy buck

January 25, 2008|By Berdette Zastrow, American News Writer

He tagged along with his dad on our neighborhood pheasant hunts the past several years. He was not old enough to hunt, was quiet and never said much. Twelve-year-old Lane Roettele of Aberdeen was much different mid-morning on Nov. 10 last fall. He and his father, Troy, drove in our yard and then jumped out of the pickup. Both sported “light up the world” grins. I knew something great had happened, as I had never seen Lane that excited and vocal. “Look!” exclaimed the youth bow hunter, running to the back of the pickup. “My first deer.” Gazing upon a nice six by seven, I shook my head in wonder. He was a beautiful trophy buck. Youth hunters occasionally bag trophy game on their first hunts. I always thought it was too bad, because their expectations would always be very high and they may become frustrated and disappointed when they couldn't repeat the performance every year. I won't worry about Lane doing that. I can see he is already a dedicated, ethical, and profound young hunter with the “right stuff.” “Lane accompanied me on hunts since he was 7 years old,” said Troy Roettele. "He could finally hunt himself this fall. I have waited 12 years for this. I'm having the time of my life because I've got myself a little hunting partner.” Young Roettele credits the 4-H archery program for his interest and proficiency in bow hunting. Now in his fifth year with the 4-H Rough Riders in Aberdeen, he archery shoots every Tuesday night at the Whitetail Bowman Club in Aberdeen. “One other person and I shoot at the meetings,” said Roettele. “I am trying to qualify again for the state 4-H archery tournament in Pierre.” He has qualified the last four years. Roettele shoots a Browning Express compound bow with a 38 to 40-pound pull. His arrows are GT Hunter Point carbon, obviously a good combination. When Roettele started to tell me his Brown County deer hunting story, he was so excited there was no stopping him. “My dad and I were standing against a fence line, 100 yards from my stand,” he started. “We heard three deer snorting and stomping behind us. My dad turned around and saw a nice buck five yards away.” Troy's movement spooked the buck and he ran 60 yards, stopped, took off and ran toward Lane's archery stand. The buck stopped at a corner post, looked and then took off running. Father and son hustled to the stand. Fifteen minutes later, they saw the buck walking toward them. “He was 100 yards away when we first saw him,” Lane said. “The buck kept walking. I drew back when he was at 60-65 yards. I held my draw for two to three minutes, until he came within 40 yards. I released the arrow at 35 yards. I was shaking the whole time and almost fell out of the tree stand. “My bottom pin was set at 30 yards, I knew he was at 35 and I thought I'd miss him, but I didn't. After I hit him, he ran 50-60 yards. It was a perfect shot.” The hunters waited a while, climbed down from the stand and walked to the buck. He was Roettele's first-ever deer, first archery deer and first buck deer. Lane wants to relive the hunt forever so Lance Burns of Frederick is mounting the trophy. Roettele's father laid in the tree stand during the hunt and whispered to Lane, “When the buck stops, let it fly.” The buck stopped and Lane made a good broadside shot. “Lane never let off on that bow,” Troy said. “He held that draw, shaking all the while. The buck stopped and it all came together.” Lane attended Hunt Safe classes last August, preparing him for his first hunting season. “The most useful thing I learned was how to track animals,” he said. “I learned how to follow a blood trail and how to track when it's wet outside.” Lane also scored firsts in pheasant and duck hunting this fall, shooting a unique Sears and Roebuck 20-gauge shotgun borrowed from a relative. However, whitetail hunting is his favorite. “It's more challenging,” he said. “You can see ducks and geese in water or feeding in cornfields You never know if you will find a deer.” Lane rifle hunted deer during that season, but prefers archery hunting. He hunts “because it's fun to see everything in the outdoors and you are not at home all day - you get to see new stuff.”